Samsung Galaxy S8 flaunting a rear mounted fingerprint scanner is now an open secret. Many have even painted a negative reaction to the placing of the fingerprint scanner, which is beside the rear camera instead of the usual below camera placement or in front embedded in the home button. But Samsung seems confident of its placing as well as its functionalities. At least that’s what can be inferred from a newly leaked image of Galaxy S8 settings menu.
The leaked image hints we can open and close applications on Galaxy S8 using fingerprint gestures (check the translation screenshot below). However, how this feature will be implemented is not very clear. But we are basing our assumptions on what we have seen in some of the recently released Android devices.
For example, we have seen use of fingerprint sensor on Pixel phones for pulling the notification panel up and down, but it does not help in opening and closing apps as Samsung has implemented. Again, some of the recent smartphones such as Huawei P10 Plus and Moto G5 have fingerprint gestures as replacement for the standard Android key set viz Back, Home and Recents button. Swiping left on fingerprint sensor is Back, swiping right is Recent while holding on to it takes you to the home screen. So, we guess Galaxy S8’s fingerprint scanner may carry these functionalities.
Read: Samsung Galaxy S8 to come with a new face scanner feature
But again, on second thoughts, if it really does help in opening and closing apps, we wonder how ergonomically convenient, or rather inconvenient it will be for users to tap on the awkwardly positioned rear mounted fingerprint sensor each time they want to close or open an app. Or can it be that the fingerprint gesture will only support the Recent button. This seems to be a more convenient option and it also lets users switch between apps, supporting Samsung’s description for opening and closing apps with Fingerprint gestures.
Anyway, don’t pressure your brain on it. The device is about to go go official in a matter of 4 days from today. Stay tuned..
